whimsy

American  

[hwim-zee, wim-] / ˈʰwɪm zi, ˈwɪm- /

Also whimsey

noun

• whimsies
  plural

1. capricious humor or disposition; extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression.

   a play with lots of whimsy.

2. an odd or fanciful notion.

   Synonyms:

   humor, whim, caprice

3. anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious fancy.

   a whimsy from an otherwise thoughtful writer.

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whimsy British  

/ ˈwɪmzɪ /

noun

1. a capricious idea or notion

2. light or fanciful humour

3. something quaint or unusual

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adjective

1. quaint, comical, or unusual, often in a tasteless way

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• whimsies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of whimsy

First recorded in 1595–1605; whim(-wham) + -sy

Explanation

Whimsy is what a person who's a dreamer and out of step with the real world might have lots of. People who are full of whimsy are odd, but often fanciful and lovely, like Harry Potter's friend Luna Lovegood. Whimsy is also a whim — something you do just because you want to. If you find a postcard of Alaska and take that as a reason to move there, that could qualify as whimsy. Whimsy is irrational, but playful. If you decorate your house with whimsy, you may have a wall decorated with butterflies and giant daisies with googly eyes, and a couch trimmed with peacock feathers and vinyl. It's amusing and witty, and you’re a master of whimsy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whimsy whimsies

The trio sanded the edges of Colleton’s original whimsy, borrowed some of the moderation discipline from the tables and gave the project a name: American Dialogues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

In subsequent shows like “Hooray For What,” “Finian’s Rainbow” and “Flahooley,” he would provide astute political commentary, offsetting issues of race and bigotry with whimsy and fantasy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

“There’s a whimsy to it, but I think there’s also something that can be brought into a more contemporary environment,” Coleman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

But rest assured that Styles’ heartwarming sense of wit and whimsy are fully in evidence.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

“With his Willy Wonka reputation, a lot of people might imagine our offices to be like an amusement park. But no chocolate river or Oompa Loompas here. There are signs of his whimsy, of course.”

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

But she’s best known as the artist who was the driving force behind Disneyland staple “It’s a Small World,” still today a gleeful diorama dedicated to childlike whimsies from across the globe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2022

Both artists make fantastic whimsies that require careful observation of the real world.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2018

When our debates are no longer resolved by deliberation over reasons, then the whimsies of power will determine the outcome.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 18, 2017

And she in no way, despite her much-expressed gratitude to Donald Davidson, her mentor at Vanderbilt, followed the Agrarians down the path of I’ll Take My Stand and their other neo-Confederate whimsies.

From Slate ● Feb. 3, 2014

I thought this jest low; not least because it merely confused Olakunde, who understood it not, and he delivered some looks of confusion before I reassured him and bade him to ignore Bono’s whimsies.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• playfulness